The present disclosure relates generally to cable management. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cable management solution for rack mounted computing components.
As rack mounted servers become more and more dense, an increasing number of servers can be mounted into an industry standard 42U rack where each xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d is generally equivalent to 1.75 inches of rack height. With some server systems intended for the internet service provider (ISP) market, 1U tall servers are becoming commonplace. Theoretically, the existence of 1U servers will allow up to 42 (forty-two) individual servers to be mounted into a single 42U rack. With each server typically requiring several cables, cable management becomes one of the largest roadblocks to such dense server system installations.
Conventional cable management techniques have included taking each of the cables connected to each respective port on the rear of a server and securing the cables to a folding cable management arm. The cable management arm is typically attached to both the back of the server and the back of the rack. This arrangement allows for a cable service loop of sufficient length such that the server can be slid out of the front portion of the rack on its rails for service. This method of cable management was developed when servers were much less dense and is becoming more difficult to implement as rack mounted components continue to shrink in height and racks become more crowded and dense.
As server installations become more dense, the individual servers take on more of a utilitarian or appliance role. In these dense configurations, no one server is the only server performing any given function. In reality, each of a plurality of servers is performing the same function, similar to the redundant server configurations seen in server farms and clusters. However, new, low-end applications, such as Internet Caching, Web Hosting, Firewalls, etc., are becoming more popular.
Having multiple redundant servers dramatically reduces the importance of 24 hour, 7 day availability per server and elevates the importance of 24 hour, 7 day a week availability of the data-center itself. As such, the service requirements of the individual servers can be handled at the depot level rather than on-site as in the past. Depot level service programs can reduce the cost of servers by reducing the need for hot-plug and redundant components such as fans, hard drives, and power supplies. Hot-plug and redundant components often only add unnecessary costs to a unit whose availability needs are handled by a number of similar units in the data-center rather than the individual unit itself. In addition, because the individual server no longer needs to be serviced while it is operational, simple rack guides can be substituted for more elaborate bearing and slide mechanisms to save cost, thereby further signifying the shift in service strategy for this new class of servers.
In accordance with teachings of the present disclosure, a computing system having one or more rack mounted components is provided. The computing system may include one or more computing components having a housing operable to maintain at least one processor and memory as well as other devices. A rack structure is also provided with guides disposed therein, and wherein the guides are operable to engage respective sides of the housing such that the computing component may be easily disposed within and displaced from the rack structure. To provide simplified removal and reinsertion of the computing component into and out of the rack structure, a backplate is preferably coupled to a rear opening of the rack structure. The backplate preferably includes at least one data plug that is operable to couple to at least one data jack on a rear face of the computing component. The backplate also preferably includes at least one data port that is operable to couple to at least one data cable.
The present disclosure includes a computing component having at least one processor, memory operably associated with the processor, and a housing operable to maintain the memory and the processor. First and second sides of the housing are preferably operable to engage a pair of guides disposed within a rack structure such that the housing may slide into and out of an opening of the rack structure. A rear face of the housing preferably includes at least one jack that is operable to couple to a plug on a backplate which may be disposed proximate the rear opening of the rack structure.
Further provided by the present disclosure is a backplate having at least one data port that is preferably operable to receive a data cable. Also preferably included on the backplate is at least one data plug that is operably coupled to the data port. The data plug is also preferably operable to couple to a data jack on a rack mountable computing component such that the data cable coupled to the data port is operably coupled to the rack mountable computing component.